The Star followed Rechichi this year as he developed Via Cibo, which opened in a strip mall at York Mills Rd. and Leslie St. this summer. It wasn’t his first time: 18 years ago, he and his brother, Mark, founded Extreme Pita and grew it into a 350-franchise company called Extreme Brandz.

The concept for Via Cibo was “fast casual” — quality dishes priced higher than those at a typical fast-food joint, but lower than at most sit-down restaurants, and with quicker service. On top of that, the food would be made in-house from scratch.

There’s nothing quite like it in the Canadian market. But so far, Rechichi says, it has been a success with customers, some who grew up with Italian food and many who didn’t.

“We can’t be happier,” he said.

During a recent weekday lunch hour, most seats were full. Students, families and professionals gathered around the dark-stained wood tables or the marble bar running down the centre of the room as pop classics and Italian ballads played.

There have been some adjustments along the way. Via Cibo was supposed to be a self-serve restaurant, with customers picking up their meals at the counter, but they soon learned it was tough to juggle a handful of plates for family-style dining.

Now diners take a number when they order at the counter, and staff bring the meal to their table when it’s ready.

“Most casual dining restaurants, from the time you sit down to the time that you get your food, it’s usually about 20 to 25 minutes,” Rechichi said. “(From) the time you order your food here at our menu concierge to the time you get your food at your table is about seven minutes.”

The speed presented a challenge for made-from-scratch meals. Rechichi hasn’t compromised on that point, but it has taken some experimentation to come up with the systems and processes to make it work.

For instance, Via Cibo makes osso buco — pulled veal — for its signature sandwich three or four times a week in a slow-cooker. The veal is cooked on the bone overnight, then cooled and pulled off in the morning, and kept at a simmer until it is served.

The sandwich is the top seller so far, Rechichi said. Now they also use osso buco in a pasta dish and a piadina, a doughy Italian flatbread sandwich.

Developing Via Cibo cost about $3 million, including everything from product development to food-finding trips to Italy and California. So far, the restaurant is meeting his projections for $1.7 million in annual sales, Rechichi said. He expects it to eventually reach “well over $2 million.”

The opening of Via Cibo wasn’t the only big change for Rechichi this year. He sold Extreme Brandz to Montreal-based MTY Food Group for $45 million and started a new company called Crave It Restaurant Group. Crave It brought in Stoney’s Bread Company, an Oakville casual restaurant, and Burger’s Priest, the Toronto cult favourite.

“If you look at those concepts, I think it’s all about the food. It’s all about the craft of the food,” he said.

In the coming year, Burger’s Priest is slated to open three more locations. Rechichi also plans to explore further Crave It partnerships and to start franchising Via Cibo. He said he has received several offers but there’s no hurry until they figure out how to replicate Via Cibo.

A preview of that could come next month when the second Via Cibo location opens in Calgary.

“Toronto’s the mecca of Italian food,” Rechichi said. “And when you take this concept and you take it to markets like Calgary, where you don’t have that level of Italian representation, I think . . . we’re going to have to educate the marketplace.

“But there’s certainly an opportunity that I love,” he added. “It’s just a tremendous opportunity.”

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